A 26-year-old Guatemalan man living illegally in Cleveland has been charged with smuggling a 14-year-old girl into the United States using false documents. The U.S. government says he lied to take custody of the girl after she entered the country alone. Authorities believe he used fake information to trick officials and take advantage of weak border policies from the past.
What Happened?
According to a federal indictment, Juan Tiul Xi entered the United States illegally in 2023. After that, he reportedly helped a 14-year-old girl from Guatemala cross into the U.S. without any adult. This type of migrant is known as an “unaccompanied alien child” or UAC.
Officials say he told the girl to use his sister’s name as her identity so that she could enter more easily. Once she was in the U.S., the Department of Health and Human Services placed her in the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).
Later, Tiul Xi applied to be her sponsor so he could take custody of her. On the official documents, he claimed to be her brother and said that the fake name she used was her real name. ORR believed his false statements and released the girl into his care around September 5, 2023.
What Charges Does He Face?
Tiul Xi is now facing three serious criminal charges:
- Helping someone enter the U.S. illegally for financial gain
- Lying on official government documents
- Using someone else’s identity (identity theft)
If found guilty, he could face:
- Up to 10 years in jail for helping with illegal entry
- Up to 5 years in jail for lying on documents
- A required 2 additional years for identity theft
A judge will decide how long he will actually serve based on U.S. laws and sentencing guidelines.
What Are Officials Saying?
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said this case shows how previous border policies made it easy for traffickers to take advantage of children. She promised that the government will continue to fight for justice and protect young people from traffickers.
Todd Lyons, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said ICE is working hard to catch and punish those who hurt children through human trafficking. He added that ICE’s agents are trained to uncover crimes like these.
Angie M. Salazar, the acting head of ORR, said her department has improved how they check the background of sponsors. Their main focus is now on making sure the children are safe. She said this case shows their dedication to working with law enforcement to fix past mistakes.
Who Investigated This Case?
This case is part of a bigger government effort called Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), which was created to stop human smuggling from Central and South America. This team includes officers from many departments like Homeland Security, the FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
So far, JTFA has helped arrest more than 360 people involved in smuggling and has gotten over 325 convictions. They’ve also taken away large amounts of illegal money and other assets from these criminal groups.
The investigation in this case was led by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI’s Cleveland office. They were also helped by teams in Guatemala and Washington, D.C.
Why This Case Matters
This case highlights a serious issue—how vulnerable children from other countries can be tricked or misused by people pretending to help them. It also shows the importance of strong border policies, careful sponsor checks, and international cooperation.
By holding people like Juan Tiul Xi accountable, the U.S. hopes to stop human traffickers and protect children from harm. Programs like Operation Take Back America are working to fight illegal immigration, stop violent crime, and shut down criminal organizations that deal in human trafficking.
